Spokane, WA Winter 2019

UW School of Medicine–Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership

SPOKANE IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR MEDICAL SCHOOL STUDENTS

When I decided in a variety of community organizing to attend the opportunities together: sitting in on University of protests, advocating to local government ’s officials to inculcate a more equitable School of community when it comes to health care Medicine on access, and meeting on our own time at Gonzaga’s local coffee shops and on Gonzaga’s rom our newest medical students to campus, I was campus to talk about how to challenge our dedicated faculty and network of initially most ourselves and others in the classroom and community volunteers, we are all excited about in our respective professional environ- united by a shared commitment to moving to a ments to be more justice-oriented. improving the health and well-being of new city where I would be challenged to The small-town feel of Spokane people across . Thanks engage with and learn from people who combined with the abundance of to outstanding community support, were quite different from the people I felt professional schools surrounding we’re educating the next generation most comfortable with in my college Gonzaga in the middle of the city makes of physicians and health professionals community in Tacoma. As a fervent the UW School of Medicine here on through a partnership that is strong and advocate for health equity and social Gonzaga’s campus extremely unique: it’s focused on the future. We invite you to justice, I felt impassioned to move to the perfect place to engage with, learn see what your support has made possible and engage with a region that was fairly from, and collaborate with community in this, our second annual report to the different from the one I had grown to members, professional students, professors, community. know and love so well. I didn’t realize and policy-makers. I could not be happier how Gonzaga and the surrounding with my choice to attend UW School of Ana Mari Cauce Thayne McCulloh community would so quickly help to facil- Medicine here in Spokane! President President itate an environment where I could wholly University Gonzaga University engage in work I was passionate about. Taylor Bozich, First-year student of Washington In the first few weeks of classes on Gonzaga’s campus, all of the first-year medical students received an email and a million flyers about a Health Equity class that was being offered to UW medical students, Gonzaga law students, Washington State medical students, and Eastern speech therapy students. I signed up in a heartbeat. Not only was I excited to learn more about health equity, but I was excited to do so in community with other professional students. Through the class, I developed some amazing relationships with many of my peers, especially some of the future lawyers from Gonzaga’s Law School.

Since then, several of us have engaged Photo credit: Mark Stone/

Advertising supplement to the Journal of Business STUDENTS PROMOTE HEALTHY HABITS FOR KEVIN MEASOR, BEING ON THE FACULTY FOR THROUGH WALKING SCHOOL BUS TWO UNIVERSITIES IS A COLLEGE GEEK’S DELIGHT Gonzaga professor teaches two classes for UW medical school

any local elementary students have volunteer opportunities in Spokane. evin Measor is an admitted college Mathematics) outreach events throughout access to medical discovered not all school busses are geek. Spokane, and he never has a shortage of faculty who can Approximately 15 UWSOM students both undergraduate and medical school help develop a big and yellow. “I love college and everything about participate, walking kids from their homes students eager to help. rural shadowing it,” he said. Instead of the wheels on the bus going to Bemiss Elementary, one or two times a program,” said When a local high school teacher So, serving on the faculty of two univer- Measor. “This partnership has enabled us round and round, this bus runs on the foot week. Four volunteers usually accompany reached out to him because of his role as sities suits him perfectly. Measor has been do more things to help undergrads.” power and commitment of a group of five to eight kids. The school identifies the Pre-Health advisor, he was able to get four part of the UWSOM-GU Partnership dedicated student volunteers from the children and helps organize the route. medical school students to talk to the high With a solid foundation in place, the two since the two universities joined forces to UW School of Medicine. It’s called a school group. universities are leveraging their strengths Other Med for Ed activities include train the next generation of physicians Walking School Bus; groups of children and momentum to support the success of tutoring and assisting in high school 500 physician faculty members three years ago. “It was a great experience,” he said. “The walking to school with one or more adults. students, and Measor is thrilled to see how classrooms, facilitating high school in Spokane med students love doing stuff like this.” This simple idea can have profound health Measor, who teaches Neurophysiology, UW students are enjoying the Gonzaga student shadowing of med school 300-level Special Topics in Biology and As a former student affairs officer, benefits. campus. activities, and participating in college UW School of Medicine Introduction to Microbiology, along with Measor’s passion is mentoring students, 240 “The UW students have full access to Studies show that fewer children are outreach fairs. alumni in Spokane County other courses at Gonzaga, also serves as and his dual roles have expanded his everything GU students have, so I’ll see a GU Pre-Health advisor. His experience opportunities for interaction. He’s walking and biking to school, and med school students hanging out at The staff at Spokane Regional Health teaching for UW School of Medicine has especially excited about a new project that more children are at risk of becoming UW School of Medicine students Hemmingson and participating on District is delighted with the participation 14 been helpful when he talks with students was created because of his connection to overweight. Providing a safe and fun received their undergraduate intramural teams. They’ve plunged right of the UW School of Medicine students. about their education and career track. the UWSOM-GU Partnership. activity, like walking to school with medical degrees from Gonzaga University in,” Measor said. “I’m a science prof, but you don’t have Before entering medical school, students students, can help children get a healthy “We sing the medical school students over the past five years For him that’s a sign of how the Partnership to be a science major to get into medical are required to job-shadow a physician. start to their day. praises,” said Annie Szotkowski of SRHD. has blossomed. “They are wonderful to work with. school,” said Measor. “Medical schools Students from rural or underserved areas “It’s been really amazing to get to know 294 clinical rotations completed like to see students who are passionate can have a hard time connecting with “It’s not just about academics, but about They’re real go-getters!” the kids,” said Blake Henley, a 2nd-year by medical students in 2018 about something and that something physicians. all these peripheral opportunities to help doesn’t have to be science.” our students,” he said. “This blending of student and organizer for the program at “Because I have the resource of working resources benefits all students and gives UW School of Medicine. “The hope is to For more information visit 418 UW School of Medicine Measor regularly conducts STEM with the medical school and GU, there’s them the best education possible. be consistent role models for them.” saferoutesspokane.org/ student volunteer sessions resulted in (Science, Technology, Engineering and

The Walking service learning hours School Bus 3,400 and served more than IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO BUILD A MEDICAL SCHOOL is part of the en years ago, after more than 30 years place, the UW and GU have created a support of the Spokane community and Safe Routes to in health sciences and medical affairs solid foundation to expand to 80 students the Friends of the UW School of Medicine School Spokane 6,700 clients served between at the UW, and co-leading a group of in the future. Spokane, the students admitted to program oper- Nov. 2017 and Nov. 2018 volunteers dedicated to supporting medical UW School of Medicine in Washington ated by Spokane Much to the credit of funds from the students in Seattle, we retired to Spokane. are now electing to apply to the Spokane Regional Health Huckabay Family and the Friends of the 20 approximate number of hours That same year the UW School of program in numbers that exceed the UW School of Medicine Spokane, every District (SRHD). students spent per week in the Medicine moved its eastern Washington spaces available. This is a far cry from just Spokane medical student who qualifies for When leaders of classroom medical school to Spokane from Pullman. a few years ago when overflow students in scholarship receives one. And thanks to UWSOM’s Med This significant step helped to create a Seattle were mandated to train in Spokane. endowed support from the Smith Family, for Ed program number of hours students spent dynamic medical education community in 12 there is additional funding to ensure that Today, the UWSOM/Gonzaga students heard about per week in clinical settings Spokane that is stronger than ever today. Walking School instruction, faculty support, and student are thriving and the Spokane community Bus, they quickly To continue our volunteer work supporting needs beyond scholarship can be addressed is the proud beneficiary. We look forward of the classroom time is to a bright future for our Spokane medical added it to their 12% medical students, now on the east side of to ensure Spokane students receive a world spent in the anatomy lab school. roster of the state, we partnered with David and class medical education. Mari Clack (both UW alums and Mari a Most important and extremely gratifying John and Ann Coulter past UW regent) to establish what would is that through the efforts of the incredible Friends of UW School of Medicine become the “Friends of the UW School of UW and Gonzaga faculty and staff, the Spokane Medicine Spokane.” The purpose was to provide support and encouragement to the “I have been blown away UW medical students in a variety of ways. I like being on the Gonzaga campus because the Gonzaga students are by the support offered to Together, and with an expanded group of more than willing to make us feel a part of their campus. It’s great to have our medical students by UW champions, we committed to showing a large community around us! members of the medical the students how much the Spokane Myra Amad, and general community in community values their presence, and to UW School of Medicine Spokane student encourage them to remain in Spokane and Spokane. It seems everywhere I go wearing eastern Washington for residency training. UW School of Medicine gear, somebody mentions how happy and proud they are that We were very excited when UW School “Spokane is built on partnerships. They drive and move our community forward, of Medicine partnered with the top-notch especially in education, and have opened so many new doors to learning, we are training in Spokane.” Gonzaga University a few years ago, advancement, and growth as individuals and a region. We are fortunate to have Brett Degraff, and that partnership has proven fruitful. high-caliber medical education opportunities for tomorrow’s professionals to learn, UW School of Medicine Spokane Last fall, UWSOM and GU welcomed train, and work right here in Spokane.” student their third class of 60 first-year medical Shelley Redinger, Photo credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington students., With this strong partnership in UWSOM-GU Regional Health Partnership Advisory Board The 2018 entering class of UW School of Medicine Spokane students is thriving as they experience a college campus, experienced faculty and a supportive community. UWSOM ALUMS MENTOR SPOKANE MEDICAL STUDENTS s medical school students face a rigorous curriculum and demanding schedules in their journey toward becoming the next generation of physicians, there’s a physician-alumni network from the UW School of Medicine who are paying it for- ward through their mentorship and support. The ‘Student-Alumni Informational Discussions’ program, known as SAID, connects incoming medical students with UW School of Medicine alumni in the Spokane region.

The alumni host small groups of students in their homes and meet at local restaurants Photo credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington and coffee shops for lively conversations about professional practice, residency, work-life balance, and other topics on student’s minds. Since the UW Medicine Alumni Association launched SAID in Spokane in 2017, more “I chose Spokane over than 30 UW School of Medicine alums representing 15 medical specialties – from family Seattle because the smaller medicine to neurology, oncology, surgery and more – have connected with nearly 75 class size allows me to Spokane-based medical students for meals and mentorship. build better relationships Students have enthused: with my classmates and “It was simultaneously rewarding and interesting having the opportunity to speak faculty. We get to know with a physician in their home setting among their family. The casual and welcoming each other pretty well! This closeness has created nature of the event was a much needed change of pace that I appreciated.” a very supportive environment—people are quick “These doctors were so down to earth and real about their past experiences. I loved to offer encouragement and support.” talking to them because they could give advice that I found extremely helpful.” Taryn Meacham, The alumni have also found the experience rewarding: UW School of Medicine Spokane “I feel it’s important to give back to the education system any way that you can. This student is a fun way to do it, and the students give me a bit more energy to do my job.” If you are an M.D., residency or fellowship alumna/us of the UW School of Medicine and would like more information on volunteering for SAID, you may visit uwmedalumni.org/said or contact UW School of Medicine Alumni Office at [email protected].

Photo credit: Mark Stone/University of Washington

FIND OUT MORE gonzaga.edu/regionalhealthpartnership uwmedicine.org/som

UW School of Medicine alums, Drs. Darren and Cindy Hollenbaugh (second and third from right) hosted five UW medical students in 2018. facebook.com/GonzagaUniversity

facebook.com/UWSOMWWAMI “The University of Washington and Gonzaga University Regional Health Partnership brings to the community a unique model of institutional collaboration that will deliver to our communities not only well trained physicians, but also future community leaders. We all benefit from the process of medical education as patients and providers; the end result is better care, better access and better outcomes for all.” Francisco R. Velazquez M.D., S.M.